


Swim to the Horizon

by Lionheart39



Series: Baby Fever [2]
Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 00:29:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20462048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lionheart39/pseuds/Lionheart39
Summary: Follows on from Racial Imperative. The meeting between 13 and Alistair in Cromer.





	1. Chapter 1

He was stood on the beach his sheepskin coat with cheque cap next to it were laid on the shingles about 25 yards behind him. About ten feet back were his loafers just out of reach of the waves. The wind was brisk, and bracing. The sea was rough, the foaming water had already soaked his socks and splashed up to his knees. He was staring out to the far horizon. He was a strong swimmer, he would swim to the horizon , swim until he was just too tired to swim another stroke. Then he would just drift down and let the water clean away all the pain and guilt.

She was taking photographs of everything on the beach when she saw him. She took several shots of him using her telephoto lens before she realised how close he was to doing the unthinkable. That's when she knew how important being exactly on time was. She hurried her steps and was stood just behind him as he started forward towards the waves.

“Bracing, isn't it?” she said mirroring his gaze.

He jerked, he hadn't been aware of her until she spoke. He turned to look at her, but she was looking out to sea. He blinked slightly confused, slightly annoyed. He had been about to do something, but for a moment he wasn't sure what.

“Yes.” he said.

“You've got your socks wet.” she said nodding down to his feet.

He looked down and blinked. Noticing he was standing in the surf. He looked at the woman slightly confused, “Err, this is Cromer isn't it!” 

She smiled, “Yes, just, we are on the far edge of the south beach. I'm Joanna,” she said smiling and holding out her hand.

“Brig... Alistair.” he said taking the proffered hand. 

He looked down at his sodden socks and trousers and shook his head, he seemed unsure as to why he was stood on a beach so close to the sea.

The young woman was looking at him and smiling. Her eyes were staring into his and he was beginning to feel calmer about everything. Her look was almost familiar, a name was coming to mind when she dropped the gaze and bent down to pick up his shoes before the waves reached them.  
He looked at her camera. 

“I do artistic photos for the tourist trade,” she said. “pays the bills while I live the life of a free spirit.”

“Free spirit! That sounds restful.” He murmured.

She smiled at him, “You look like you need a towel and a cup of tea.” she said nodding towards a small cottage just up from the beach. They walked towards it and she bent down and picked up his coat and cap.

Alistair was about to say he needed to return to work when she turned smiling at him and once again looked him straight in the eyes. 

“Everyone needs to be a free spirit once in a while, Alistair!”

He followed her to the cottage. 

As they walked she was talking. “Sometimes the world seems terribly bleak, doesn't it? But things change, things get better. I've always found a cup of tea with a slug of Brandy in makes the world seem a much better place.” 

She put her arm through his and Alistair felt calmer than he had done in days.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fiona realised that sometime you do more harm then you think.

“It's Daddy!” the young girl, shouted with glee.

Fiona Campbell, looked around worried until she saw her daughter was looking at a photograph on the wall outside the hut on the beach at Cromer.

Alistair, in a photograph, she thought, no way! 

“Look Mummy, it's Daddy!”

Fiona walked up at looked at the large photo. She stood transfixed. She felt the colour draining from her face. 

His coat and cap laid further back on the beach. His shoes a few yards further on. The man stood up to the ankles in the surf, his trouser legs soaking wet. That vacant look on his face. What was going on here? What was he planning to do?

Her daughter was reading the title underneath ‘Swim to the H.O.R.I.Z.O.N.’ 

Fiona put her hand out clutching the rough wooden wall.

Kate, looked at her mummy. “Sorry.” she said quietly, seeing her mummy was annoyed because she had mentioned Daddy again.

Kate's fingers just touched the glass over the image of her Daddy. Her head dropped as she walked away.

The young woman in the colourful coat walked towards Fiona.

“Powerful image isn't it?” she said. “I was going to call it, ‘The harm we do without trying!’ but that seemed too obvious.”

Fiona turned a haggard face towards the woman. “When ... did you take the photo?”

“Beginning of the week. He was just some poor sod, who the world had given too much grief to handle. Shame really, seemed a nice guy.”

Fiona swallowed!

“What happened to him?” she asked her voice low but urgent.

“I gave him a cup of tea, we had a long chat and he drove off.” The young woman said. She didn't think the woman needed to know that it had been late the next morning when he had driven away.

She turned and looked at the girl sitting on the quay who was obviously crying. “Is your daughter, OK?”

Fiona looked at Kate, then looked back at the photo. She then headed to the phone box on the quay side. After a few minutes she approached Kate and hugged her. 

“Daddy will, be taking you to the zoo on Sunday." she told her.

The smile on her daughter's face was worth swallowing her own pride for.


	3. The meeting

Doris and Alistair were sitting in the living room when the grinding wheezing noise that always heralded the arrival of the TARDIS and it's occupants could be heard. Doris was quickly out of the chair to check how many people she would be catering for. Alistair was easing himself up more carefully. He had rather overdone the gardening in the last couple of days and his back was letting him know about it. His wife's next comment had him at the window a lot quicker than he was planning.

“What’s Gordy doing travelling with the Doctor?”

Alistair was quickly at his wife's side looking bemused at the young boy who had just stepped out of the TARDIS. He was aged around 8 years old and certainly resembled his grandson.

Alistair headed quickly for the French windows that led out to the lawn where the TARDIS had landed.

As he approached the boy he realised it wasn't his grandson. Nor was it a younger version of himself but..

When the Doctor stepped out Alistair haltered with shock. Gazing intently at the woman dressed in cut off trousers, multi coloured jumper and Trench coat he muttered “Joanna!” 

The young boy said “Dad!” and rushed up to Alistair hugging him around the waist.

Alistair stood blinking then looked from the boy, to the woman and then to his wife.

“Alistair, what's going on?” Doris demanded. “What does he mean, Dad?”

Alistair looked at his wife, of ten years, at a loss how to explain an eight year old son, when he knew he had never been unfaithful to her. Doris was the only woman he’d wanted since they met up. He would never have considered cheating on her!

The young woman saw the problem that was about to start. “I'm the Doctor, TARDIS, Time travel.” She said quickly. 

Doris blinked! 

“February 1976, Cromer.” Alistair muttered! 

The Doctor nodded. 

Alistair put an arm around the boys shoulders.

The Doctor had a slight smile on her face, as she looked from her son to Alistair then to his wife.

“Doris, Alistair has never cheated on you. I know how much he loves you. Our liaison happened just after his divorce, in 1976.

Doris looked at her husband, then at the boy who was looking up intently at Alistair. She then turned to the Doctor.

“ Time travel Doris!” The Doctor said.

Alistair was looking at the boy in awe. But he was also worried about his wife.

Doris looked at the look of longing in the boys eyes and the shocked but accepting look on Alistair’s face.

Doris took her husbands hand and squeezed it. “There is no denying he's your son Alistair. I'll let you get better acquainted with the lad.”

Doris turned away and walked to the kitchen, her mind in a whirl. They had met up too late in life to have children even though Doris had longed for a child. Her first husband had died too early in their marriage for the planned children to be born. Her Hope’s that she and Alistair could adopt had proved futile as they were deemed too old. Fostering had also been out of the question because of Alistair's continuing on and off work with UNIT. Even when he tried to retire he was constantly dragged back. Alistair’s work with UNIT was deemed to unsuitable as it could destabilise the family. Doris sat down and sighed.

The Doctor left Alistair and his son, Alistair, in the garden talking. She entered the kitchen and sat down across from Doris.

“I promise you Doris, the Doctor said Alistair did not know you when we....” she stopped when Doris looked at her with hurt eyes.

“I wanted a baby!” the Doctor blurted out “and Alistair was my, best friend. He ....”

Doris's hurt eyes met hers. “I understand Doctor, I wanted children too! It just hurts that you can have, MY, husband's child but I can't!”

The Doctor looked at the woman across from her and thought about that. If Alistair’s timeline had not been interfered with by the first Doctor and Oliver Hamilton, Doris and Alistair would have married in 1953 and now be the parents of four children and be awaiting the birth of their third grandchild. (See Careless Talk.)

I know this won't make any difference. The Doctor slid over a photo, the one Kate and Fiona had seen at Cromer. Looking at it Doris caught her breath. “He was..?” the Doctor nodded

“Why?” She asked. “Why was he contemplating ..”

“Fiona was threatening to take his access to Kate away!” The Doctor said, “plus he had lost a lot of people that week.” She wasn't sure if Doris knew about Liz Shaw.

“I'd decided I wanted Alistair to be the father of my child and was looking for the right time. You know Alistair, it couldn't be when he was attached to someone else, he’s just so straight laced.” Both women shared a strained smile.

“ It had to be a time when it wouldn't alter his timeline.” Doris nodded. “Then this crisis in his life happened and he needed comfort of the sort I could give him. He needed reminding that he was still someone who could be loved. I knew you would arrive in his life to make his later life his happiest, but he needed..”

Doris squeezed her hand. “I see.” She whispered. “But did he know who you were.”

The Doctor shook her head, “No, I think he would have been appalled at the thought!”

Doris gave a weak grin. “Yes, I imagine he would.”

So why now. The Doctor grasped Doris hand. “Alistair, my Alistair,” she clarified “has been raised on stories of his Dad. He is eight and deemed a genius, he is about to go to the Liz Shaw Academy attached to Cambridge University to study. He was desperate to meet his Dad.” She paused and smiled. 

“Again it was about time lines now is the best time. While Alistair is fit and healthy enough for my Alistair to see what a remarkable man he was.” The Doctor said misty eyed.

At Doris’s concerned look she clasped her hand, “No, Doris, you two have years of wonderful life ahead of you!” she reassured the woman.

“But I wanted Alistair to see his Dad as near to the Soldier he was in 1976 as possible.”

Doris smiled weakly “I hope it goes well. Alistair needs to know at least one of his children doesn't hate him. I don't know the ins and outs of his UNIT life but I do know he lost everything dear to him to save the world.”

The Doctor hugged Doris, “That's why I'm glad he has you. If he hadn't have had you coming into his life I would have never let him go. But he would never have loved me like he loves you. My son won't change that.”

Doris smiled weakly.

“Besides, Kate will come around, when she finds out about her Dad's life. In fact she will be so proud of him. I assure you Doris this is the best part of Alistair's life and, you,” she stressed squeezing the older woman's hand “are the reason for that. He loves you with all his heart.”

The Doctor and Doris watched Alistair and the boy getting out a cricket set from the TARDIS. 

“Why don't you two stay a while?” Doris said glancing over at the look of joy in her husbands face.

She went over to speak to the older Alistair. The Doctor smiled as he pulled his wife into a hug as she made her suggestion. She watched her son give the woman a hug too.  
.


End file.
